The present invention generally relates to a clamp, and more particularly, to an electrode clamp used for clamping an electrode in position in a burr hole in a skull of a patient.
Electrodes are increasingly used to stimulate specific parts deep within a patient's brain to reduce movement disorders such as those accompanying Parkinson's disease, or to change compulsive behaviors such as those accompanying obsessive compulsive disorders. Other applications of this technology are also actively being developed. Frequently, the electrodes are introduced into the brain through holes drilled into the skull, known as burr holes, created by an automatic perforator having a carefully controlled diameter (e.g., 14 mm).
Electrodes are frequently bent where they emerge from the burr holes to lay flat against the skull under the scalp, minimizing their visual perceptibility to others. Ultimately, the electrodes travel to generators, usually on the chest, that electrically stimulate the brain via the electrodes based on a predetermined protocol. The bend in these electrodes at the edge of the burr holes frequently has a small radius, making the electrodes prone to breakage, thereby rendering them useless. If the electrodes break, the process of inserting electrodes must be repeated. The electrodes are inserted in small targets deep within the brain. Thus, the procedure is delicate and tedious. Preferably, electrode failure is minimized to minimize the need for repeating the procedure. Accordingly, there is a need for a mechanism for securely attaching electrodes to the skull and preserving a suitably large electrode radius of curvature as it exits the skull.